ABOUT THE GUEST ARTISTS
Schelvin Robinson, a native of Miami, is a versatile trumpet performer and educator praised for his exceptional musicality and dynamic stage presence. He has performed as a featured soloist in notable concerts such as the Southeastern Trumpet Festival in Atlanta, GA, Broward College Symphonic Band, and the homegoing service of Senator Carrie Meeks.
A truly versatile musician, Schelvin Robinson has performed in various musical genres. He performed with The Tallahassee Big Bend Community Orchestra, the Florida Music Educators Association Intercollegiate Band, and the HBCU Intercollegiate Consortium Band. Robinson performed for the 2006 Grammy Awards and three Super Bowls, demonstrating his abilities in popular music. In addition, he played two European tours with singer Cody Chesnutt.
In 2013, Robinson received the Master of Music degree in Trumpet Performance from the University of Florida. While there, Robinson performed with the Wind Symphony, UF Symphony Orchestra, UF Trumpet Ensemble, and the Ocala Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he performed in various chamber and Brass Ensemble groups throughout Florida.
Robinson is an active member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society, Phi Mu Alpha National Music Fraternity of America, Florida Bandmasters Association, Florida Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Education, and the International Trumpet Guild. Robinson is a proud alumnus of Florida A & M University, where he earned the Bachelor of Music Education degree, and the University of Florida, where he earned the Master of Music degree in trumpet performance. While currently pursuing the Doctor of Music degree at Florida State University under the instruction of Christopher Moore, he serves as a graduate teaching assistant within the trumpet studio. Robinson’s former teachers include Joyce Davis and Longineu Parsons.
Shelby Rawn Chipman, Ph.D. is professor of music at Florida A&M University (FAMU). His responsibilities in the Department of Music include teaching Instrumental Music Education, Conducting, coordinating student recitals and student teachers. Additionally, he serves as director of the Marching & Pep Bands, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, and String Ensemble.
Chipman is a native of Miami, where he graduated from Miami Northwestern Senior High. He received the Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science and Music Education from Florida A&M University, where he was conducting student of the late Dr. William P. Foster and Dr. Julian E. White. Professor Chipman received the master’s degree in music education at the University of Illinois, and the Ph.D. in music education from the Florida State University (FSU) College of Music, where he studied with Dr. Bentley Shellahamer. Prior to his appointment at FAMU, he taught music in the Miami-Dade County Public School system for 10 years.
The Florida A&M University Wind Symphony and Symphonic Bands performs regularly on campus during the fall and spring semesters, as well as at divisional, national, and professional music conferences. Under his direction, wind symphony has performed at the Florida Music Educators Association Conference in Tampa, Florida, Carnegie Hall, New York City, and the wind symphony recently performed during the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) National Convention, in Athens, GA, February, 2023. In January 2019, the famed Florida A&M University Incomparable Marching “100” Band marched in the prestigious 2019 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA. In January 2021, the FAMU Marching”100” participated in the virtual Presidential Inauguration Celebration of our 46th President of the United States, the Honorable Joe Biden and our Vice-President Kamala Harris.
Chipman recently served as the President of the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA), which includes all areas of (K-21) music programs. He served as the Collegiate Advisor of Florida National Association for Music Education (NAfME) of the Florida Music Education Association for eight years, the Southern Division: NAfME Advisor of thirteen states and is an active adjudicator and clinician throughout the Southeastern United States, National Advisory Council of NAfME, and is a member of several college band director national association committees, which are committed to collaborating improving the mainstream elements of director and student experiences. Chipman has published numerous articles and completed research in the areas of instrumental conducting, at-risk student success and the student teaching experience. His dissertation focused on “A Survey of Perceptions of At-Risk Students by Florida Secondary School Band Directors.” He has also published articles in the Florida Music Director on band director success and was featured in the fall publication of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Band Director Marching Band Digest.
Chipman holds memberships in the American Bandmasters Association (ABA), National Band Association (NBA) –member at-large, Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Florida Music Education Association (FMEA), Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA), College Band Directors National Conference (CBDNA), Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) Multicultural Network, and Bethel AME Church (Tallahassee). Chipman is a highly requested conductor and clinician for All-County and All-State Ensembles across the country. Most recently, Chipman was selected as a Conn-Selmer Music Educational Clinician.
NOTES ON THE PROGRAM
Hazo: Today is the Gift
Samuel Hazo (b. 1966) is one of the more well-known American composers of band music of the 21st century. In addition to his works written for all levels of school bands, the Pittsburgh native has composed original works for television, radio, and the stage. In 2003, Hazo became the first composer to be awarded the winner of both composition contests sponsored by the National Band Association. Prior to his time as a full-time composer, he spent years teaching every educational grade level from kindergarten to college and was named “Teacher of Distinction” twice by the Southern Pennsylvania Teachers’ Excellence Foundation.
Today is the Gift is a unique piece scored only for brass and percussion with the woodwind players contributing East African chant and singing. The piece was commissioned by the Midwest Clinic to celebrate of the 50th Anniversary of Mrs. Rosa Parks’ display of courage on December 1, 1955. The words sung come from an African proverb translating to “Tomorrow is a mystery. Yesterday is history. Today is the gift.” Hazo says of the piece:
As we celebrate the golden anniversary of the day that was “the gift,” we must always remember the power of one person who is armed with the truth, and we have the duty to carry on Mrs. Parks’ example. We must never let ourselves believe that even the smallest social wrong is acceptable or can be ignored. Rosa Parks chose to fight for one seat, on one bus, in Montgomery, Alabama. Perhaps this is best summarized in the eloquent words of Dr. Martin Luther King’s letter from a Birmingham jail: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
O’Toole: Fanfare to “The Hammer”
Anthony O’Toole (b. 1988) has composed works that have been performed worldwide. Although he is largely selftaught as a composer, he credits many of his teachers including, Jack Stamp, Frank Ticheli, Samuel Hazo, and others, for being mentors and advocates of his work. Some of his many awards consist of grand prize in the 2012 Garritan Composition Contest and 2nd place in the 2014 Van Galen Prize for wind chamber music. O’Toole currently serves as the composer-in-residence for the Carson Symphony Orchestra and staff arranger for the Southern California Brass Consortium.
Fanfare to “The Hammer” (2013) was written as a musical tribute to Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Henry “Hank” Aaron. The Hammer played 23 seasons in the MLB and most notably holds the record for most runs batted in and held the record for most home runs with 755 until 2007. As well as a tribute to one of the game’s greatest players, the piece evokes the imagery of attending a baseball game, playing a baseball game on a hot summer day, or even just playing catch with your dad. O’Toole says that baseball “holds a special place in the heart of most Americans. It is more than a sport; it is a pastime.” The piece references Take Me Out to the Ballgame and uses the slapstick and woodblock to simulate the crack of the baseball being hit by the bat.
Copley: Halcyon Hearts: An Overture for Love
Katahj Copley (b. 1998) is a native of Carrolton, GA and attended the University of West Georgia where he completed Bachelor’s degrees in both Music Education and Composition. Copley currently studies music composition at the University of Texas at Austin with renowned composer Omar Thomas. Among a variety of settings, Copley enjoys composing for chamber ensembles, large ensembles, wind ensembles, and orchestras. Several of Copley’s works have been performed internationally including performances in Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, China, and Australia.
“Katahj Copley is one of the most extraordinary composers of his generation. His music, for a variety of media, it’s always poignant while at the same time exciting for performers and audiences alike. If you do not yet know his name, standby, because soon everyone will be clamoring for his music.”
– Jerry Junkin, UT Austin & Dallas Winds
The composer shares his vision and inspiration behind Halcyon Hearts:
Halcyon Hearts is an ode to love and how it affects us all. “Halcyon” denotes a time where a person is ideally happy or at peace, so in short, Halcyon Hearts is about the moment of peace when one finds their love or passion. The piece centers around major 7ths and warm colors to represent the warmth that love brings us. The introduction - which is sudden and colorful - symbolizes the feeling of the unexpected journey it takes to find love. Using the colors and natural energy of the ensemble, we create this sound of ambition and passion throughout the work. No matter what race, gender, religion, nationality or love, we all are united with the common thread of passion from the heart. This piece was written in dedication to those who love no matter what negativity is in the world; do not allow hate and prejudice to guide the way we live our lives. Always choose love and the halcyon days will come.
– Copely
Locklear: Overcome
Bill Locklear (b. 1947) is a music educator and composer who has over 30 years of public school teaching experience. Locklear is a Georgia native who completed degrees Jacksonville State University and at Georgia Southern University, and now lives in Kennesaw, GA. His compositions have been featured by local organizations including the District Nine Georgia Music Educators Association, The Atlanta Braves, and the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. Locklear continues to serve as a guest composer and clinician for middle, high, and community groups across the United States.
Overcome (1998) was a work commissioned by the William James Middle School Band program, under the direction of Mrs. Kathey Frey. Frey commissioned the work to celebrate and honor the life of Dr. William James, and to commemorate the closing of William James Middle School, which had been open from 1955-1998. The work highlights the hymn We Shall Overcome, which often served as a protest song during the civil rights movement. Locklear’s moving composition provides a moment of remembrance and honor for both James and the service to the community that William James Middle School provided, while also promoting feelings of strength and resilience in the listener.
Reed: Ode for Trumpet
Alfred Reed (1921-2005) was an American composer, conductor, and arranger. Following his service with the 529th Army Air Force Band during WWII, he attended Julliard where he studied with Vittorio Giannini. Reed completed bachelor’s and master’s degree at Baylor University while serving as the conductor of their Baylor Symphony Orchestra. He later moved to Florida, where he served on faculty at the University of Miami in the Theory-Composition and Music Education departments. During his career he was on staff with the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), the American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), and later was the editor of Hansen Publishing. Reed was an active clinician and composer both nationally, and internationally, and has published over 250 compositions for settings of chamber ensembles, concerts bands, wind ensembles, orchestras, and choirs.
The C.G. Conn Band Instrument Company commissioned Alfred Reed to write Ode for Trumpet (1956) for Don Jacoby to be premiered with the Texas All-State Band at the TMEA Convention. The composition features a free variation form where an eight-measure theme is repeated three times. The theme is presented in a style representative of the big band era featuring a relaxed tempo. Reed features the trumpet soloist in a very conversational style with turn taking between the trumpet and ensemble. Ode for Trumpet features the soloists technical and stylistic abilities and allows the soloist to truly make the instrument sing.
Shabazz: Of Honor and Valor Eternal (The Tuskegee Airmen)
Ayatey Shabazz was born and raised in Biloxi, Mississippi. He received his formal music training from the University of Southern Mississippi where he studied composition and jazz arranging. Shabazz is the current Founder, President, and CEO of The Devmusic Company which focuses on printing and preparation services for musical ensembles. His composition career is robust and abundant, of which his most well-known compositions are Redtails, Heroes, The Power of Hope (written for the 2020 Tournament of Roses Parade), and his work in the Incredibles 2 and Soul
Of Honor and Valor Eternal (2005) was written as a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen. The piece is the first composition for band by Ayatey Shabazz. Contemporary in nature and full of vitality, it features short solos for oboe, clarinet and trumpet and interesting interplay between the various motives. The sonorities of the horn lines mix with the powerful rhythms of the percussion to create a dynamic and vibrant work that is perfect for any concert or contest performance by better bands. The piece was commissioned for the 2005 Mississippi All State Band.
Daugherty: The Adventures of Jesse Owens
Michael Daugherty (b. 1954) is a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and is an American composer and educator. Daugherty studied nationally and internationally from some of the most notable composers of the 20th century, and has been on faculty at the University of Michigan as a Professor of Composition since 1991. He has received six GRAMMY Awards and has been internationally recognized as one of the ten most performed American composers of concert music. While receiving continuous awards, distinctions, and fellowships, Daugherty frequently serves as the composer-in-residence across the country for various festivals and orchestras.
The Adventures of Jesse Owens (2023) celebrates the life of Jesse Owens, an American track and field athlete who won 4 gold medals in the 1936 Olympic Games. The composer says this about his three movement work:
1. Cotton. Jesse Owens (1913-1980) was the youngest of ten children, the son of a sharecropper, and the grandson of enslaved people. The family lived in a small shack in rural Oakville, Alabama, and everyone picked cotton for a living, including Jesse beginning at age seven. The first movement is a “work song” composed of pulsating, multi-layered ostinatos accompanied by a rhythmically relentless anvil.
2. Berlin (1936 Olympics). As a student athlete on the track and field team at Ohio State University, Jesse Owens set five world records in 1935. He was subsequently invited to join the United States Olympic team for the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. The German Nazi Party hoped that hosting the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin would provide an international showcase for the Third Reich and give legitimacy to its racist policies of Aryan supremacy. The participation of American Jewish and Black athletes subsequently caused great controversy. In the second movement, I allude to three different musical works associated with the opening ceremonies of the 1936 Berlin Olympics: Richard Strauss: Olympische Hymne (1936); My Country, ‘Tis of Thee (also known as America, 1831); Deutschlandlied (German National Anthem, 1922). As these melodies are interrupted by rolling drums, the ominous mood of the music anticipates World War II, started by Germany in 1939.
3. Gold. By winning four gold medals and setting world records in the 100 meter, 200 meter, 400 meter relay and long jump, Jesse Owens became the most successful athlete of the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. His victories made international headlines as “the fastest man in the world,” challenging the German Nazi doctrine of Aryan supremacy. Inspired by the superhuman feats of Jesse Owens at the Olympics, the brightly orchestrated final movement, marked “Presto,” moves at breakneck speed to a triumphant finish line.
Reed: Allelujah! Laudamus Te
Alleluiah, Laudamus Te is a vibrant and exhilarating work for concert band composed by the prolific American composer Alfred Reed. Premiered in 1973, this piece is celebrated for its dynamic energy, rhythmic drive, and inventive orchestration.
Reed, known for his mastery in writing for wind and brass instruments, showcases his compositional prowess in Alleluiah, Laudamus Te. The piece opens with a powerful statement, immediately capturing the attention of the audience. Reed skillfully employs various sections to create a rich tapestry of sound, exploring the full range of colors and dynamics within the ensemble. Throughout the work, Reed incorporates lively rhythmic motifs, syncopated passages, and intricate counterpoint, creating a sense of perpetual motion and excitement.
As the piece progresses, Reed builds towards a triumphant conclusion, reiterating the opening themes with added brilliance and intensity. The relentless drive and rhythmic precision required from the performers make Alleluiah, Laudamus Te a thrilling and engaging experience for both musicians and audiences alike.
Reed’s Alleluiah, Laudamus Te, is a testament to his craftsmanship in writing for concert band, offering a compelling blend of technical challenges, expressive moments, and sheer exuberance. This work remains a perennial favorite in the repertoire, leaving a lasting impact with its infectious energy and uplifting spirit.
Nelson: Wayfaring Stranger
Christopher M. Nelson (b. 1987) is an active composer and music educator based in the Greater Salt Lake City Area in Utah. Before teaching at Timpanogos High School, Nelson studied at Washington State University with Danh Pham, the university and person to whom this piece is dedicated.
In 2014, Nelson wrote this arrangement of Wayfaring Stranger, which was premiered by the Washington State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble and published the following year. The first known publication of the original hymn known as The Wayfaring Stranger or Poor Wayfaring Stranger was in 1858, but its origins are not specifically known. It was first popularized during the Civil War, when it was known as the Libby Prison Hymn. As with many folk songs, its lyrics vary from one version to the next, but all versions depict a traveler persevering through a difficult journey on the way to greener pastures where they expect to reunite with their mother and father.
Harrison: Splinter
Splinter, composed by the innovative Australian composer Holly Harrison, is a dynamic and unconventional work that explores the intersection of sound, texture, and emotion within the realm of flexible instrumentation. Premiered in 2020, this piece challenges traditional notions of ensemble structure, inviting performers and audiences alike to engage with a sonic landscape that is both fragmented and cohesive.
The title Splinter aptly captures the essence of the composition, suggesting a breaking apart or divergence that leads to the creation of something new and intriguing. The work unfolds with a series of fragmented gestures, rapid-fire rhythmic patterns, and abrupt shifts in dynamics. Throughout the piece, Harrison employs a rich palette of extended techniques, unconventional articulations, and percussive elements to create a vivid and eclectic sonic tapestry. While Splinter may challenge conventional expectations, it also weaves moments of introspection and lyricism into its fabric. Amidst the fractured textures, listeners will encounter moments of delicate beauty, sudden contrasts, and unexpected connections, providing a rich and engaging listening experience.
Harrison’s Splinter invites performers to embrace experimentation, pushing the boundaries of their instruments and ensemble dynamics. The composer’s innovative approach to structure and timbre, combined with the inherent flexibility of the work, creates a unique and compelling musical journey that challenges preconceptions and expands the sonic possibilities of contemporary ensemble music. As performers navigate the fractured landscape of Splinter, they embark on a musical adventure that is simultaneously dissonant and harmonious, chaotic and ordered—a genuinely captivating exploration of sound and texture for both listener and performer.
Bartók: Jocuri Poporale Romanesti
Béla Bartók (1881-1945) was best known for his work as a composer, ethnomusicologist, and pianist. As an ethnomusicologist he collected thousands of folk songs, primarily in Hungary and other parts of Central and Eastern Europe. His work recording the folksongs of local and nomadic peoples in these areas pioneered the field of ethnomusicology. His contributions to the field are still valuable today, and much of this work is prevalent in his compositions, including this piece.
Jocuri Poporale Romanesti, or in English, Romanian Folk Dances, was originally composed for piano in 1915 and later expanded for orchestra. Each of its six movements depicts specific Romanian folk music and dances. This arrangement by Japanese composer Yo Goto faithfully adapts Bartók’s depictions of local festivals and soulful melodies for the wind band.
Weinberger: Polka and Fugue from Schwanda the Bagpiper
A Jewish composer born in Prague, Jaromír Weinberger (1896-1967) began studying music at the age of 5 years. At age 14, he began studying at the Prague Conservatory before moving to the United States to teach and compose at various institutions, including the Ithaca Conservatory in New York. After building a reputation as a composer and teacher in the US, he returned to Czechoslovakia to teach and compose nearer to his homeland. Unfortunately, the rise of the Nazi regime forced him to return to the United States in 1939, where he remained for the rest of his life, residing primarily in New York, Ohio, and later in St. Petersburg, Florida.
In 1927, during his return to Europe, Weinberger completed his most famous opera, Schwanda the Bagpiper, from which this piece originates. Although it premiered in Prague to minimal acclaim, it was revived in Germany a year later with great success. It quickly spread across Europe and over to the United States, where it was popular enough to be arranged for wind band by Glenn Bainum in 1928. The opera incorporates traditional late Romantic era tropes of passionate love and supernatural elements as the titular character Schwanda makes a deal with the devil to preserve his relationship, causing him to be dragged to Hell. As Schwanda is rescued, he plates the fugue heard in this arrangement to show off for the demons as he leaves.
Llinás: Un Cafecito
Dennis Llinás drew the inspiration for his piece Un Cafecito from a unique Cuban custom he experienced while growing up in Miami, Florida. Llinás writes about the piece:
The phrase “Un Cafecito” means a little coffee. Growing up in Miami in our Cuban culture, it was customary for co-workers to bring to work an 8 oz cup filled with Cuban coffee (basically really strong and sweet espresso) and tiny shot cups. At certain points in the day, they would approach colleagues and pour a quick shot for them accompanied with the phrase, “¿Quieres un cafecito?” translating to “Do you want some coffee?” Needless to say after that shot, you were ready for another few hours of daily activity. The piece, Un Cafecito, is basically that - a quick pick-me-up that is just meant to be fun to perform and listen to filled with energy, sensuality, passion and the dance motivation of Cubans…” The amplified string bass and percussion act as the backbone of this piece, and the composer assures the percussionists that “as a Cuban percussionist, you have authentic percussion parts.
Un Cafecito perfectly encapsulates that burst of energy that comes from great coffee, music, and company while showcasing each section of the band with a Cuban flair that brings our concert to a fantastic fiery finish.
Piccolo
Kayla Crider
Flute
Javier Rivera*
Taylor LaPage
Marina Whitsell
Sofia Velez-Santiago
Addison Peltier
Celeste Galvez
Oboe
Alejandro Lopez
Megan Halter
Bassoon
Dakota Jeter
Piccolo
Carissa Kettering
Flute
Mary Moshos
Alexia Smith
Kendall Smith
Willa Gutowski
Allie Mattice
Anna Todd
Oboe
Jordan Miller
Maddy Jenkins
Julia Heard
Bassoon
Hunter Fisher
Lyx Abshire
Lalo Ambris
University Concert Band Personnel
Chandler L. Wilson, Conductor
Andy Dubbert and Michael Tignor, Graduate Associate Conductors
B-flat Clarinet
Abigail Varnadoe
Madeline Mondok
Ryan Brabham
Claire Huggins
Victoria Hamilton
Shane Smith
Bass Clarinet
Katelyn Smith
Alto Saxophone
Brody Stump
Riley Nauman
Arwyn Hill
Brianne Yates
Josie Liederman
Tenor Saxophone
Olivia Turke
Jamari Spears-Screen
Baritone Saxophone
Erin Kane
Trumpet
Rayane Almeida-Santos*
Kai Okamoto*
Kye Turner
Katherine Hatfield
Edwin Cintron
Horn
Sophia Fernandez*
Christina Park*
Maya Robertson
Ariana Seguinot
Eliana Gold
Madz Kyncl
Trombone
Micah Hreczkosij
Sam Cote
Calvin Fein
Greg Lambert
Jane Cohen
Austin Boudi
Bass Trombone
Sam Mercier
Grace Smith
Euphonium
Maggie Shaffer*
Lee Anderson
Marissa Hutchins
Yasha Foster
Karina Benton
Charlie Brust
Katherine Nepute
University Symphonic Band Personnel
David Plack, Conductor
Ashley Deane and Brad Sparks, Graduate Associate Conductors
Clarinet
Daniel Burrow
Eric Olmsted
Halle Mynard
Luke Montgomery
Evan Jewsbury
Ava Raposo
Jolene Hempfing
Elizabeth Kennedy
Ryan Tone
Marie Yonts
Bass Clarinet
Alexei Kovalev
Alto Saxophone
Ash Stewart
Danny Sgattoni
Gabriel Ortiz
Luis Angel
Tenor Saxophone
Parker Button
Baritone
Saxophone
Casey Caulkins
Trumpet
Sharavan Duvvuri
Easton Barham
Brian Ratledge
Katherine Brinkman
John Bradley
Henry Hobbs
Horn
Ashlie Green
Brandon Bourdeau
Andrew Whitlach
Bea Kelly
Anna Leach
Braden Tan
Trombone
Mateo Buitrago
Landon Ellenberg
Ethan Colon
Sarah Castillo
Connor Stross
Connor McDonald
Connor Casey
Kevin Li
Euphonium
Elizabeth Reese
Michael Chou
Kris Stottlemire
Tuba
Noah Bryant
Thomas Ambrose
Xavier Gauthier
Connor Kelley
Tuba
Braden Meyer*
Alden Cruz
Sam Williams
Allie Nutting
Collier McBride
Andrew Mechling
Parker Iliff
String Bass
Kent Rivera
Percussion
Darci Wright
Austin Pelella
Ryan Boehme
Will Vasquez
Jake Fenhoff
Miranda Hughes
String Bass
Emma Waidner
Piano
Bryden Reeves
Percussion
Drew Jungslager
Caitlin Magennis
Chance Douglas
Will McCoy
